Biblioteca Improvement Project

Your Library is Getting an Upgrade

The San José Public Library’s Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch has completed its community input meetings with Washington-Guadalupe residents and businesses as part of the planning process to improve the library building and enhance the experience for all visitors and members.

Library staff is now actively working on the next steps of the project. Check back here for updates as progress continues - more exciting details coming soon.

Biblioteca Latinoamericana: Celebrating 50 Years of Community

October 3, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Join us for a community celebration marking 50 years of Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch Library and the start of the branch renovation project. Enjoy live performances, cultural activities, special guests, and the unveiling of a time capsule placed at the branch in 1999.

Join the Celebration

Creating a Shared Vision

In Spring 2024, the community participated in two bilingual workshops and a follow-up survey. During the first workshop, participants shared their experiences, hopes, and ideas for the library. During the second, they reviewed potential improvements and identified priorities for the future space.

We were grateful for the feedback as it helped shape the renovation plans. It helped put a focus on creating a welcoming, vibrant, accessible, and culturally representative library for the community.

First Event: March 9, 2024

Second Event: May 18, 2024

History and Highlights

As Biblioteca Latinoamericana prepares for its next chapter, we invite you to look back at the people, partnerships, and milestones that shaped the branch.

1970s–1990s

April 1976 - Biblioteca Latinoamericana becomes affiliated with San José Public Library and opens in a facility provided by Sacred Heart Church as a result of a grant from the California State Library.

December 1978 – Biblioteca Latinoamericana moves into the former Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School cafeteria at 921 South First Street. Image circa 1978 and available in the California Room Digital Collections.

Circa 1995 – Members of Los Amigos de la Biblioteca Latinoamericana advocate for the future library building at a community event. Image from the Alcario and Carmen Castellano Family Collection, available in the California Room Digital Collections.

March 1, 1997 - Mayor Susan Hammer and community members break ground for Biblioteca Latinoamericana. Image from the Frank & Mary Andrade Latino Bilingual Newspaper and Achievements Collection available in the California Room Digital Collections.

November 19, 1999 - Community members celebrate the grand opening of Biblioteca Latinoamericana at its current location on South First Street.

2000s

Circa 2001 – Author and Santa Clara University professor Francisco Jiménez and Chicana poet Lorna Dee Cervantes participate in an author event, likely held in the youth center behind Biblioteca Latinoamericana. Image from the Alcario and Carmen Castellano Family Collection, available in the California Room Digital Collections.

October 14, 2009 - Dr. Francisco Jiménez, an author, educator, and professor emeritus at Santa Clara University, meets with families and signs books during a Meet the Author event.

2010s

May 5, 2016 - Kristi Yamaguchi, an Olympic gold medalist, author, and Bay Area native, reads to Washington Elementary School students during an end-of-year book celebration.

December 12, 2016 - María Leticia Gómez, a Univision on-air personality, meets with children and families during a Vamos a Leer storytime event.

December 16, 2017 - Glorybella Orellana, a Univision on-air personality, joins children for an afternoon of stories, activities, and prizes during a Vamos a Leer event.

June 2, 2018 - Meggie Ramm, a Bay Area cartoonist and comics educator, teaches children how to develop original characters using personality traits, visual elements, and storytelling.

November 29, 2018 - San Jose Styles Krew shares the local history of hip-hop and B-boying and leads participants in a dance workshop during SJPL’s Hip-Hop History Month celebration.

2020s

September 2022 - San José Public Library (SJPL) was awarded $8.7 million from the California State Library Building Forward Infrastructure Grant. The funding will be used to address capital improvement projects at nine SJPL branch libraries over the course of four years. The Biblioteca Latinoamericana Branch, which opened in 1999, will receive $3.6 million to support existing improvement plans.